Former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa was brought to the Apollo Hospital on September 22, 2016 – she remained admitted there till December 5, 2016 when she passed away.

File image&nbsp | &nbspPhoto Credit:&nbspPTI

Chennai: It has emerged that former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s 75-day hospitalisation at the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai in late 2016 cost a whopping nearly Rs 7 crore. What’s more shocking is that the cost of the food served to the late AIADMK supremo has been pegged at Rs 1.17 crore.

This has been disclosed by the hospital itself, in documents submitted to the inquiry commission investigating the death of the former CM.

Jayalalithaa was brought to the Apollo Hospital on September 22, 2016 – she remained admitted there till December 5, 2016 when she passed away. The total cost of her hospitalisation has been pegged at Rs 6, 85, 69, 584. The hospital revealed that it was yet to receive Rs 44.46 lakh in outstanding payment.

Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK party had earlier stated that it had paid Rs 41 lakh to Apollo Hospital on October 13, 2016 and Rs 6 crore on June 15, 2017. The ruling party had also claimed that it will foot the bill from its treasury and not use tax payers’ money for the same.

A report in the Hindustan Times claimed that the bill summary shows a consultation charge of Rs 71 lakh, a fee of Rs 1.92 crore for health services, and Rs 38 lakh as cost of medicines. The fee of UK’s Dr Richard Beale has been pegged at Rs 92 lakh, while Rs 12 lakh was charged for physiotherapy services from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore. Room rent was Rs 1.24 crore for the entire duration of hospitalisation.

It may be noted that VK Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s close aide, and her some of her relatives stayed at the hospital during the time the former CM was admitted at the hospital.

A one-man commission of Justice (retired) A Arumughaswamy is probing Jayalalithaa’s death - it has so far examined more than 130 witnesses. The Commission, which has been given three extensions till now, is expected to submit its probe report on February 24, 2019 – Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary.